In the Darkness

Summary

The author nostalgically recounts cherished childhood memories of family bonding during power outages on a Greek island.

Abstract

The article "In the Darkness" recalls the author's fond childhood memories in Greece, where frequent winter power outages brought the family together. Amidst the laughter and storytelling by candlelight and the glow of an oil lamp, the family formed deep connections, contrasting with the usual disconnection in the presence of electricity. The author cherishes these moments, associating the scent of burning oil and candlelight with happiness, despite the underlying issues with the island's electricity grid. This piece is the first in a series, with promises to explore more memories shaped by the absence of electricity, including summer outages and vacations in an electricity-free beach house.

Opinions

The author values the genuine connection and joy experienced during power outages more than the convenience of electricity.
Parents transformed under the candlelight, sharing happy stories from their childhood and becoming more approachable.
The author expresses gratitude for the poor electricity grid on the island, as it led to the creation of comforting family memories.
The article suggests that the absence of modern conveniences like electricity can foster meaningful family interactions and storytelling.
The author is eager to share more about how the lack of electricity contributed to happy memories in subsequent stories.

Lack of electricity — The beginning of a series: Winter

I found this picture of an oil lamp which most closely resembles ours/ Photo by Konoplytska on Pixabay

When the lights go out We’re so much fun to be around We all sit together And listen to the howling of the weather

The candles and great-grandma’s old oil lamp We laugh so much I almost got a stomach cramp Lightning illuminates the living room There is a deep connection we eagerly consume

An hour or so has passed Electricity returned creating a gloomy contrast Quickly switching back to the default state Where we’re disconnected and pretend that all is great

As you may or may not already know, I was born and raised on an island in Greece. In the winters when the weather was getting particularly bad, it was a frequent occurrence for the electricity to go out especially at night.

Those nights are the ones that I remember most fondly. I think they were the only times we could really connect.

Our parents would usually tell us stories about the happy parts of their childhoods, and how they managed without electricity back in those days. I think that, under the candle light, they transformed to small children who never wanted to grow up and be abusive or neglectful like their own parents were to them.

My siblings and I took full advantage of that. We wanted to hear stories, we wanted to be able to laugh with out parents and have meaningful conversations. In those moments, we didn’t have our guard up.

Now I have associated the smell of the burning oil and the warm glow of the candles with those happy moments. In a way I’m thankful that the electricity grid on the island was so bad (it still is, by the way) because I got to create those comforting memories amidst all else that was going on.

If you’re wondering why the subtitle says “The beginning of a series”, it’s because the lack of electricity has created some significant clusters of happy memories for me.

I intend to expand on those moments as they occurred in the summers due to the incredible aforementioned electricity grid, but also when we went on vacation yearly to a house by the beach with no electricity. Another core cause for darkness was the old wiring in our house. But I’ll be sharing more about all that in other stories.

Until then, feel free to let me know if you like it when the lights go out! Or, if you don’t like it, why not?